Gas-generator



S. SKIN-NER.

Gas: Retort.

No. 18,414. s Patented Oct, 13, 1857.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

SALMON SKINNER, OF YONKERS, NEW' YORK.

GAS-GENERATOR.

Specicaton of Letters Patent No. 18,414, dated October 18, 1857.

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, SALMON SKINNER, of Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Form or Method of Making and Operating Gras-Retorts; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional View; Fig. 2 the base or bottom of the retort; and Fig. 3 is the top or cover, a-nd'c, c, the interior protector.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

Instead of the pot shaped or other forms of retorts in general use, I make the base or bottom of my retort shallow or dish shaped as shown by Fig. 2. I then make t-he upper part, cover or top, Fig. 3, of such form as to secure within it a space or chamber for holding lime, brick, coal, wood, charcoal, or any substance desired for purifying, condensing, or generating gas.

Fig. 2 represents the bottom base or that portion which is placed wit-hin the stove or furnace and is exposed directly to the action of fire.

Fig. 3, represents the cover or lid which contains the space or chamber, and is placed upon Fig. 2 and united to it-gas tightat the lianges a, a, Fig. 1, by means of putty fusible alloy or any proper gas cement.

Letters b, b, Fig. 1, represent the pipe for the escape of gas from the retort to the condenser or gasometer.

Letters c, c, Fig. 1, represent a basket or framework of iron for the limestone, brick, coal, charcoal, or other matter, so that the lid or cover, Fig. 3, may be removed and replaced without disturbance to the substances contained therein and used to keep this upper chamber cool.

Letters d, represent the siphon pipe for introducing oil, resin, or any other substances for generating gas.

The advantages claimed for this form of retort over those usually made--particularly the pot shaped for portable or miniature gas works are: First, in reducing the destructible portion of the retort to the smallest practicable dimensions and only exposing that portion-the portion desired to be heated-to the action of the fire, while the top or cover containing the protecting condensing or generating matter is exposed to the atmosphere and present-ing a large radiating surface its temperature is kept at a comparatively low point.

In generating illuminating gas from rosin, rosin oil, oils, or any fatty substances, I iind upon repeated experiments and long practice that the bottom of the retort only should be heated to a red heat; while it is absolutely necessary to prevent the decomposition and destruction of the gas generated, before it, passes from the retort, to keep the upper part of the inner chamber of the retort at a lower temperature than the generating surface. To accomplish this, I make the base or bottom of my retort (Fig. 2), shallow and then expose this portion only to the direct action of the fire, the top or cover (Fig. 8) is made dome shaped or any other similar shape that will increase the interior capacity of the retort; this cover is placed on th-e upper outside of the stove, free from the direct action of the lire, and possessing a large radiating surface, it throws off heat rapidly, and thereby keeps the upper interior portion of the retort at a lower degree of temperature than the bottom or generating surface. I also place within the retort an iron basket or frame with letters c, c, this basket rests upon lugs, cast on the bottom or base (Fig. 2), say about three inches from the bottom, and it extends up into the chambers or space formed by the top or cover (Fig. I place in this basket brick, stones, charcoal, lime, or any substance that will readily absorb heat, to act as a shield to assist in carrying out my principle of keeping the upper portion of the inner chamber of my retortl at a much lower degree of heat than the base or generating surface. This basket is constructed so as to give space between it and the cover (Fig. 3), thereby permitting the gas to rise, the instant .it is generated, into a. nondecomposing chamber and from thence through the pipe (Z), 2),) to the condenser, puriiier, or gasometer.

The gas escape pipe (Z), 5,) is fitted upon the cores (Fig. 8) at its apex or center, so that the base of the retort (Fig. 2) may be moved in the stove, so as to receive the heat equally upon all sides.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, s-

Making the upper part of my retort doine shaped or any equivalent shape 5 that Will radiate its own heat, and in coinhnaton with such a retort, the interior protecting vessel c, c, and contents, or their equivalents for the purpose of preventing the upper chamber of the retort from becoming unduly heated, thereby shielding the gas 10 generated in the lower portion from decomposition before it can escape to the gasometer.

SALMON SKINNER.

Witnesses:

D. B. COX, H. A. RICHARDSON. 

